Lost and Alone
A warrior's worth is not determined by their origins but by their deeds Prologue- Fatal Decision- StarClan Tallstar and Blackstar were walking together in the forest. They came to the Looking Pond and stared into it. Images of cats flashed. A golden tom was hunting while a tortoishell she-cat watched. A smokey gray tom hunted alongside a smaller brown tabby. A ginger tom flashed past as well. "Look there's Firestar!" Tallstar said, "I wonder how he's doing..." Blackstar spit, "Huh. He's simply a kittypet. They have no place in this forest! They do not belong! Kittypets just sit and stuff their faces while the warriors work!" he made a few more images flash. A cream queen eating a squirrel slowly, not doing anything. A purplish tabby snoring in her nest next to a gray warrior. Tallstar rolled his eyes, "Blackstar, those cats are fine! One cares for our young and one is a true warrior! What more do you want? Blood!?" Blackstar was about to say something but stalked off, his nose and tail high in the air. Tallstar looked back into the pool. Four images flashed. A silver tabby with blue eyes snoring in the sun. A brown tom batting at a butterfly. A cream cat with dark brown ears, paws, and tail turned her green eyes to a Twoleg. A small ginger cat licked at his whiskers. Tallstar drew in a breath, "I'll show Blackstar! A warrior's worth is not determined by their origin, but by their deeds!" And he left. Tallstar had just sent 4 cats to a fate they did not deserve or want. but it was done. Chapter 1 - Friends - Moonbeam I streached and saw the sunbeams dappling the kitchen wall. I guess it was morning. I ducked out the catflap and headed to the wall where I can see into the other yards. I tried to see Joy. She's my best friend. But I saw no hint of her cream fur or dark ears. I sighed and went back down. Just before I did, I saw a ginger tomcat. I didn't really know him but I think his name's Gingersnap. He waved his tail at me and as I leaped down called, "You jumping skills are so lousy!" Immediatly, I popped back up and knocked him off the fence. He fell down muttering and I laughed. He grinned and jumped back up, "Have you heard about the new cat?" I shook my head. I always got gossip from Joy and she hadn't been out last night or this morning. Gingersnap went on, "There's a new tom. He's weird looking! No stripes or anything! Just plain brown! Ugly, don't know why his housefolk bought him!" I nodded, "What's his name?" If this cat had a good name maybe his Towlegs would forgive him for being so strange looking, "I think it's Shasta." Gingersnap said, his whiskers quivering thoughtfully. I noticed a flash of creamy white out of the corner of my eyes. Joy was finally out! I began to back away from Gingersnap, "I have to go...but I'll see you around?" he nodded and ducked back into his yard. I rushed over to Joy, "Where have you been?" She shrugged, "Sleeping." I rolled my eyes and gave her a little nudge. Then I said, "I have some great news for you!" Joy's eyes brightened. There was nothing more she loved then good gossip. So as we walked around, I filled her in on the strange new cat. Chapter 2 - Mission - Joy I had given myself a mission. After Moonbeam left, back over her fence for a lunch of cream, I put my plan into action. I walked over to the ginger tom, Gingersnap, I remembered. I batted my eyes at him and said in a sweet voice, "Hey, do you know where that new cat lives?" he looked at me. "Aren't you Moonbeam's friend, Joy?" Drat. He wasn't supposed to recognize me. He was supposed to say 'Sure! He lives in that house, over there! Good luck!' I sighed and nodded and he waved his tail, "Over there, in the house at the end of the road. It has a big shady tree in front of it. You can't miss it." I thanked him and walked over to the house. Just as Gingersnap said, there was a large shady tree in the front. I was walking around it when I tripped on something. I looked down and saw a bunch of dark brown fur and slowly opening amber eyes. I wanted to run but I couldn't, he might chase me. Shasta got up and looked at me and I got the feeling he knew exactly what I was doing, "Look, there was already a ginger tom snooping around today, ask him for your precious gossip." He flopped back down and I crept away. I was annoyed and impressed that he had managed to se what I'd been doing and tell me off in an offhand way. I hopped over my fence and licked my paw. Then I got back up. I was going to find Gingersnap and get him to tell me a few juicy details about this mysterious new cat. Chapter 3 - Heart of Stone - Shasta I watched the she-cat flounce away and almost laughed. I hated she-cats like that. I used to live with one. Her name was Seirra and she was even tougher then I was. I loved her but she died in a fight with a Twoleg dog. She shouldn't have died. The Twoleg just laughed as the dog clawed her perfect tortoishell pelt again and again..... And I had never really been as friendly to anyone agan. Lost in thought, I realized I had just walked over to another house. I looked over at the fence. A ginger tom, a silver she-cat, and the cat that had woken me up were all talking. Probably about me. I decided to join them. I leaped up onto the fence and starteled them. The silver she-cat opened large blue eyes even wider. The ginger tom gave a squeak and the creamy she-cat fell off the fence, reappearing a minute late with leaves in her fur. "Hi. My names Shasta. I'm new to this place. Do you live here?" I tried to be friendly and not frightening. But the silver she-cat was the only one brave enough to speak, "I'm Moonbeam. This is Gingersnap and I assume you've already met Joy. This is Gingersnap's place and me and Joy live a few nests down." I nodded. They tried to make small talk with me for a while but they couldn't really say anything without an awkward silence following. I bid them farewell and went back home. Maybe later we will talk again. I thought, thinking of Moonbeam's blue eyes, alive with friendliness. Chapter 4 - Jealous - Gingersnap I watched Shasta leave and I felt something bubble up inside of me. Jealousy. It was obvious. Shasta was one of us cats that got the best food, the best baskets, the best everything. And he had a huge yard. He could act tough and cool whenever he wanted and no one would challenge him. He was....well good looking I guess by she-cat standards. "Isn't he handsome?" asked Joy. Moonbeam nodded but not enthusiastically. I had always like Moonbeam more then Joy. Not as a mate but just as a cat and as a friend. And she had talked to him happily. Like a friend would. So I was jealous. And this cat was new! He didn't have any right to just.....act cool and go after the she-cats and act all tough! It wasn't right! I think Moonbeam saw me getting mad so she nudged Joy, "Let's go." she said. She nodded at me and the two vansihed back over their fence. I stalked back inside. I was in a foul mood. I fell into a shallow sleep, waking up every once in a while. All I knew was one thing. I hd better not see Shasta tommorow. And if I did he better watch out. Because I was M-A-D. Chapter 5 - Chased - Moonbeam I was about to walk inside my house when I saw some young, tom housefolk. They were kicking around some boulder. I tried to get a better look and I saw that the boulder was white with black spots when one of them saw me. "Look guys, let's go play with that!" Most Twoleg kits are friendly and I was prepared to be stroked and hugged but then the boulder slammed into my side. I yowled and ran, not sure where I was going. I just had to get away. They ran after me, laughing. I was so scared. A few more times the boulder slammed into me. Once, I was tired and slowed down. The boulder slammed into me with so much force that I stumbled, falling on the road. I scarped my shoulder badly and tried to get up. One of the Twolegs kicked me. I went under. When I woke up, much later. I didn't know where I was. I could see my home but it was far away and I was too weak to get to it. Besides, night was falling. I curled my tail around my tail and fell asleep. The next day, I padded over to my nest, feeling glad to be home. But there wasn't a cat flap. Or a fence. I only realized then what had happened. This only looked like my home, it wasn't really my house. I was scared, for the second time that day. And then it hit me. If....I was really lost...and couldn't get back home...then....what would happen to me? I found a quiet hollow near a nest. It was dirty but it sheltered my from the wind. I curled up and realized that I might never get home. Chapter 6 - Forced - Joy I was walking back inside when one of my housefolk, Anne, bent over holding a small black she-cat with stunning blue eyes. She said something in her strange languge and set the cat down. The new cat licked her paw, "So, my name is Nighty. I'm the new cat here. You should really leave." I laughed, "I was here first! And I like it here! This is my home! Who's gonna make me leave?" Within a second, I was on the floor, writhing in agony as Nighty wrestled me down and clawed me, "I will! I hate your kind, filthy housecats who are lazy, fat, and always yowling for something! Not me! I know how to hunt and fight!" she clawed my spine and I shierked, "Help!!" She leaned in close and I smelled her pelt. I smelled rotten food and rats. Yuck. "You should really leave." she told me. I nodded weakly and she let me up. I scampered out of the house and ran for who knows how long. When I stopped, I was in a new place. I had never been here before and it frightened me. I found an old basket with large claw marks and dirt all over it. I curled up inside, and though it was dirty and freezing, I had something to hold on to to keep me from crying. I had been driven out of my own home. Chapter 7 - Take My Leave - Shasta I walked outside, feeling slightly frustrated and angry. They didn't like me. I kicked pinecones and bumped into things. Then I spotted the shiny can that Twolegs put their trash in. I got a wicked idea and backed up. Then, I ran up and knocked into the can, spilling all it's contents out in a big smelly mess. That would make someone else miserable! I was about to turn away and go back inside when something caught my eye. I turned around and saw a dappeled body, tortopishell fur cascading out from her body, eyes wide, just as they had been in life. But ugly scars went down her body. Seirra. My Seirra! Red invaded my vision. I knew these cans were where my housefolk put unwanted things, forgotten things, trash. "She's not unwanted!" I yowled, "I loved her! I will always love her! She's not trash, I'll never forget her!" I was sobbing now. I looked at the nest and felt a rush of hatred. "I can't live here anymore." I said. I dragged Seirra's body to a under the tree, her favorite spot had been the forest in our old home. I buried her, giving her one last lick. Then, I spun around and left. I didn't know where I was going to go. I just couldn't stay here anymore. Chapter 8 - Thrown Away - Gingersnap I walked around my house, tearing up the floor-moss, scraping the fruniture. I was just so mad, I had to get it out. I guess eather I shouldn't have done it or I shouldn't have gotten caught. I was tearing up a cushion and watching the feathers explode out when a hand yanked my scruff. I looked up and saw my housefolk. I looked down and saw the floor falling away. The housefolk yowled at me for a while and then began walking. My stomach hurt as I bounced up and down. The housefolk opened the door and I wondered what was happening. She lifted me up and I was flying. I felt happy until I landed. It hurt, I cried out in pain and turned around but my housefolk had already slammed the door shut. I had been thrown out. I looked around for a sign of my friends. Neither was home but I saw Moonbeam's silvery gray fur scattered on the road. I decided to follow it and find her. It wasn't shedding time so she must have been hurt. I would have to find her and if need be rescue her. I began to pad away from my life and all that I had ever known. Make sure to read the sequel: Harsh Wild to find out what happens next! Category:[[Artimas Hunter's Fanfics]] Category:Artimas Hunter's Fanfics